Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2019 Jan;41(1):64-71.
doi: 10.1002/hed.25369. Epub 2018 Dec 18.

Prevalence and prediction of trismus in patients with head and neck cancer: A cross-sectional study

Sarah J van der Geer  1 , Phillip V van Rijn  1 , Jolanda I Kamstra  1 , Johannes A Langendijk  2 , Bernard F A M van der Laan  3 , Jan L N Roodenburg  1 , Pieter U Dijkstra  1   4
Affiliations

Prevalence and prediction of trismus in patients with head and neck cancer: A cross-sectional study

Sarah J van der Geer et al. Head Neck. 2019 Jan.

Abstract

Background: Trismus occurs frequently in patients with head and neck cancer. Determining the prevalence and associated factors of trismus would enable prediction of the risk of trismus for future patients.

Methods: Based on maximal mouth opening measurements, we determined the prevalence of trismus in 730 patients with head and neck cancer. Associated factors for trismus were analyzed using univariate analyses and multivariate logistic regression analyses. Based on the regression model, a calculation tool to predict trismus was made.

Results: Prevalence of trismus was 23.6%. Factors associated with trismus were: advanced age; partial or full dentition; tumors located at the maxilla; mandible; cheek; major salivary glands; oropharynx; an unknown primary; a free soft tissue transfer after surgery; reirradiation; and chemotherapy.

Conclusion: About one-fourth of patients with head and neck cancer develop trismus. Based on prevalence and associated factors of trismus, a simple calculation tool predicts the risk of trismus in these patients.

Keywords: head and neck neoplasms; mouth neoplasms; oral; risk factors; surgery; trismus.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest with the contents of this article.

References

    1. Kamstra JI, Jager‐Wittenaar H, Dijkstra PU, et al. Oral symptoms and functional outcome related to oral and oropharyngeal cancer. Support Care Cancer. 2011;19:1327‐1333. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Scott B, Butterworth C, Lowe D, Rogers SN. Factors associated with restricted mouth opening and its relationship to health‐related quality of life in patients attending a maxillofacial oncology clinic. Oral Oncol. 2008;44:430‐438. - PubMed
    1. Weber C, Dommerich S, Pau HW, Kramp B. Limited mouth opening after primary therapy of head and neck cancer. Oral Maxillofac Surg. 2010;14:169‐173. - PubMed
    1. Louise Kent M, Brennan MT, Noll JL, et al. Radiation‐induced trismus in head and neck cancer patients. Support Care Cancer. 2008;16:305‐309. - PubMed
    1. Van Cann EM, Dom M, Koole R, Merkx MA, Stoelinga PJ. Health related quality of life after mandibular resection for oral and oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma. Oral Oncol. 2005;41:687‐693. - PubMed

Substances